New Delhi [India], December 31 (ANI): Sarfaraz Khan's 157 off 75 balls for Mumbai, Ruturaj Gaikwad's 124 for Maharashtra, Mohammed Shami's two-fer and respective four-wicket hauls by Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar for Bengal, Anshul Kamboj's four-fer for Haryana, and Krunal Pandya's unbeaten 109 off 63 balls, among others, has been the highlight in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) Elite 2025-26 matches so far on December 31.
In the Haryana vs Services fixture of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Haryana won the toss and elected to field first, putting Services in to bat. The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Anshul Kamboj was the star for Haryana. He bowled a brilliant opening spell that completely broke the Services batting line-up as he claimed the first three wickets, reducing Services to 41/3. He eventually finished with impressive figures of 4 wickets for 43 runs. Because of his early wickets, Services were never able to recover, ending their 50 overs at 271/8. Irfan Ali's 103 was the saving grace for Services' batting.
In th Maharashtra vs Uttarakhand match, Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led from the front with a brilliant 124-run knock. Batting first, Gaikwad's 124 came off 113 balls and was the backbone of his team's performance. Riding on his ton and contributions from Satyajeet Bachhav (56) and Ramakrishna Ghosh (47), Maharashtra posted a formidable total of 331/7 in their 50 overs. While Uttarakhand managed to pick up late wickets to slow the momentum, the damage was already done by the skipper's clinical innings.
Mumbai posted a massive total of 444/8 against Goa in their VHT match, driven by a sensational power-hitting display. The platform was built by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who in his return to Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored a steady 46 runs before narrowly missing out on his half-century. His solid start was complemented by Musheer Khan, who anchored the middle overs with a well-made 60.
However, the innings will be remembered for Sarfaraz Khan's onslaught. Sarfaraz played a breathtaking knock, reaching his century in just 56 balls and eventually finishing with a staggering 157 runs off only 75 deliveries. His explosive innings included nine fours and 14 sixes, propelling Mumbai well past the 400-mark and leaving the Goa bowlers with no answers. Mumbai wicket-keeper batter Hardik Tamore (53 off 28 balls) also contributed to the team's massive total in the first innings.
In a clinical display of pace bowling, Bengal crushed Jammu & Kashmir by nine wickets after bowling them out for a mere 63 runs. The victory was set up by a relentless performance from Bengal's star-studded pace trio. Mohammed Shami provided the early breakthroughs by taking two wickets for 14 runs, dismissing Qamran Iqbal and Yawer Hassan cheaply.
The pressure was maintained by Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, who both claimed four-wicket hauls to dismantle the rest of the lineup. Mukesh Kumar was particularly lethal, finishing with figures of 4-16 in six overs and earning the Player of the Match award, while Akash Deep's 4-32 in 8.4 overs ensured J&K were bundled out in just 20.4 overs. Bengal then chased down the small target of 64 in only 9.3 overs, with Abishek Porel (30*) and Sudip Gharami (25*) sealing a dominant win.
In a swashbuckling batting performance, Baroda reached a massive total of 417/4 against Hyderabad, powered by a hat-trick of centuries. The onslaught began with opener Nitya Pandya, who set the foundation with a fluent 122 off 110 balls. He was joined by Amit Pasi, who continued the aggressive batting with 127 off just 93 deliveries.
The finishing touch was provided by captain Krunal Pandya, who played a blistering, unbeaten knock of 109* off only 63 balls, smashing 18 boundaries. His innings helped Baroda set a daunting target of 418 for Hyderabad.
In the first innings of the Assam vs Uttar Pradesh match, Assam posted a competitive total of 308 all out in 48.4 overs, largely thanks to a captain's knock from Sumit Ghadigaonkar, who smashed 101 off 86 balls. However, Uttar Pradesh's bowling pair of Vipraj Nigam and Zeeshan Ansari ensured Assam didn't run away with a massive total by picking up crucial wickets in the latter half of the match.
Delhi Capitals' Vipraj Nigam was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with a brilliant four-wicket haul (4-66), including the vital wicket of Ghadigaonkar just as he looked to accelerate. He was supported by Sunrisers Hyderabad's Zeeshan Ansari, who took a three-wicket haul (3-60).
In the Karnataka vs Puducherry VHT clash, Karnataka's top order put on a brilliant batting performance to guide their team to a commanding total of 363/4. The innings was defined by a massive 228-run opening stand between Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal, both of whom notched brilliant centuries. Padikkal continued his incredible form by registering his 12th List A ton in just 36 matches, scoring 113, while captain Mayank Agarwal led from the front with a powerful 132.
Following the departure of the openers, Karun Nair (62* off 34 balls) kept the momentum high with a quick-fire fifty, ensuring there was no let-up for the Puducherry bowlers. His aggressive finish helped Karnataka cross the 350-mark comfortably, setting a daunting target of 364 for the opposition.
In the Madhya Pradesh (MP) vs Tripura match, MP captain Venkatesh Iyer starred with the ball, claiming a four-wicket haul to dismantle Tripura's top and middle order. Despite a resilient 107-run partnership between Sridam Paul (52) and Vijay Shankar (91), Venkatesh Iyer's breakthroughs proved decisive. He finished with figures of 4-44 in 10 overs, helping MP restrict the opposition to 286/7. (ANI)